The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-08
Mr.. Parnell Offers His Amendment to the
Queens Address and Supports 1t in Calm,
Dignified ard Dispassionate Address.
The Attorney-General Says No Portion
ofthe Amendment Can BE Accepted.
The European Money Markets Recover Their
Tone and Buoyant Feeling Prevails De-
spite the Serious Aspect of Affairs.
IRELAND,s CAUSE.


Amendment to the Address.
LONDON, Feb THE debate on the address,
for the first time since the opening of the ses
sion, took definite and practical form this even
ing, the House having an important issue in the
Parnell amendment Mr.. Parnell. in his speech,
was moderate and judicious in tone He pur-
posely avoided absolute approval of the principle
of the "Plan of Campaign" in order not to offend
a number Of Gladstonian members who disap-
prove the plan, but are inclined to condone it as
desperate temporary expedent Mr.. Parnel's
criticism of the successful results of the plan
and his comparison of its effect in modifying the
relations between landlord and tenant with what
he calls the helter-skelter, harum scarum pro-
cedure of the governments agents, which had
intensified the disorder, was cheered by the
whole opposition side. The speech was notable
more for diplomatic calmness and fnesse than
for fervor or brilliancy. The amendment offered
by Mr.. Parnell is as follows:
1.-THE relations between the owners and occu-
piers of land have not been seriously disturbed
in the cases of those who granted their tenants
such abatsments as were demanded by the
prices of agricultural and pastoral produce. The
remedy for the crisis in Irish agrarian affairs
will be found not in the increased stringency
of criminal procedure, OF in pursuit of such
novel, doubtful and unconstitutional measures
as those recently taken by her Majestys govern
mept, but in such reform of the law and system of
government as will satisfy the>needs and secure
the confidence of the Irish people,"
Mr.. Parnell maintained that if the bill for
stopping evictions, which he introduced last ses-
sion, had been passed, the condition of Ireland
would have been greatly improved. The opera
tons Of the measure would have effectually pre-
vensed the present disturbed relations between
l., Ii.
ent serious position of Irish domestic affairs
! rested with the government The governments,
despite this, seemed about to renew its mistake
of attempting coercion in Ireland. The speaker
solemnly warned the governmeL- if they again
tried coercion they would again fail. as they al
| ways failed when trying that policy
Coercion wo1ld never bring about a
better state of affairs in Ireland or
assist in establishing peaceful relations
between two countries. If the govern nments pro-
posed alteration sof criminal procedure acts
meant an attack on the rights of Irishmen, its
| immediate result would be that Sir Michael
Hicks Beach, Chief Secretary for Ireland, and
| the Marquis of Londonderry, the Viceroy, would
| find themselves rapidly descending inclined
! plane, and would soon come asking Parliamen t
! for more coercion Sir Michael Hicks Beach
wished to attack the authors of the
'Plan of Campaign" He thought to crush the
| "Plan" by muzzling his opponents and putting
| them into jail All past experience had shown
that the work of suppression would only
! begin when such things were done. for
secret societies would spring up and agrarian
and political crimes would revive in their
| worst forms. Government had already been
| guilty of unprecedented action in the manner in
| which they conducted the prosecution of John
Dillon. They had been equally arbitrary in the
| method employed to suppress the Sligo meet
ings and in the adoption of a method of striking
off jureS in such way as 70 exclude Catholics.
! The speaker asked if any government could ex
pect nation three-fourths of whose population
were Catholics, would be content to have no rep
resentation of their faith in the jury trials of
their country. Referring to the Glenbeigh
evictions Mr.. Parnel declared the landlords
gave the tenants one month only in which to find
five years rent. arrears and costs.
The ultimate offer made by the
landlords to take a half years rent
looked generous, but the costs involved amount
ed to two years rent The National
League. Mr.. Parnell continued, never lnterfered
until the work of eviction was in full swing. As
one vino had responsibility in bringing for
ward the"Pian of Campaign" he could speak free
ly upon it. Many tenants who now had roofs over
their heads would have been cast out upon bare
hillsides but for the plan. The reduction in the
number of evictions for the last quarter was
mainly due to the plan. The government wait
| ed Two months before declaring the plan illegal
Was it illegala That remained to be seen. Ii
the meanwhile he attached no Importance tt
the assertion of its ilegality. The government
talked of robbery of landlords. forgetting that al
most every title to Irish land is founded upor
wholesale robbery and confscation The bull
of Improvements made by tenants had beer
seized by landlords who have long been robbins
tenants of the product of their labor and embez
zling their rights. Mr.. Parnell went on to con
denim coercion as Indictment to conspiracy H,
taunted the Tories with the declaration that i
they got powers OF oppression equallng those O
the Car they would never be able to administe
them under a constitutional government. S,
long as Irish members had seats in Parliament
Even now, at the eleventh hour. if the govern
men, refrained from policy of exasperatiol
and stopped the nfiction Of injustice by legal
actments and system of repression which hat
done more to demornlize Irish tenants than al
the Fenian agitation from New York to Sa,
Francisco, if they would give irean,
power to do for herself that which Englan'
seem ed to have neither the wish nor the powe
to do Ireland would show, by her tranquility
and prosperity how unfairly she had beel
treated in the past. and how unjust was the az
sertion that the Irish were not law-abidin
. people
Mr. Parnell spoke with energy and was muc
! exhausted
Mr. Gladstone promised to support the Parne
amendment.
Mr. r. W. Hanburv Conservative member fo
> Preston, suggested the establishment of slid
ing scale of rents. He appealed to the govern
D ment to deal with Ireland with clean hands an
a clear conscience, and endeavor to encourag
the revival of Irish industries which Englan
4 bad destroyed. The speech ELECTED cheers fror
I the Irish benches.
The Right Hon. Hugh Holmes. Attorney
: general for Ireland, said ths government wa
= unable 20 accept single proposition containe
!. in the amendment. There had been fewer evi,
j. tions, and rents had been more promptly pai
p this winter than for seven years previous. Thes
facts clearly proved that the recent disputes bs